Big escape by Alcantara
Last Filipino standing rallies, ousts tough Briton
By Marc Anthony Reyes
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:48:00 03/28/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Just when everybody thought he had ran out of tricks, Francis Casey Alcantara came through with a magical escape act in the 19th Mitsubishi Lancer International junior tennis championships Thursday.
The 16-year-old Filipino rallied from 0-4 in the third set to score a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 triumph over Briton Matthew James and reach the boys’ singles quarterfinals at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.
“Akala ko, talo na (I thought it’s over),” said Alcantara after the eighth-seeded Briton moved within two games of taking the match in the third set and the crowd started to head for the exits.
“Pero tinyaga ko na lang (But I persevered),” added the 16-year-old Cagayan de Oro City marvel at the end of the match that lasted over three hours.
Picking up his game, Alcantara—Nińo to friends—broke the 6-foot Briton twice and held his serve to suddenly take command at 5-4.
James called for time at 40-30 in the 10th game to seek medical attention as cramps immobilized his left leg. When play resumed, he won the point to tie the set at 5-5.
But the pressure and the stifling heat took their toll on the Briton, and the 12th-seeded Filipino—who was eliminated from this same tournament in the first round last year—wrapped up the match by taking the next two games.
Alcantara will face a bigger and tougher foe next, the 6-foot-3 No. 3 seed Mark Verryth of Australia, who took out Indian’s Sudanwa Sitaram, 6-1, 7-6.
“I’ve seen him play and I think I can beat him,” said Alcantara, who learned the sports basics from his father. He now takes lessons from former Davis Cupper Junjun Toledo.
Top seed Andrew Thomas of Australia downed compatriot James Duckworth, 6-3, 6-4, to advance against No. 7 Alexander Lobkov of Russia, who eliminated Niki Moser of Austria, 6-2, 6-1.
Korean fourth seed Cho Soong-jae hurdled Australia’s Dane Propoggia, 6-2, 6-2, to arrange a duel with the fifth-seeded Thai Kittiphong Wachiramanowong, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Shuichi Sekiguchi of Japan.
Sixth seed Hiroki Moriya of Japan edged Canada’s Kelsey Stevenson, 6-2, 6-4, to move up against second seed Borut Puc of Slovenia, who won over Hong Kong’s Dino Dell’Orto, 6-3, 7-6.
In girls’ action, top seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand continued her winning ways by beating Indonesia’s Beatrice Gumulya, 7-5, 6-4.
Also marching into the next round were second seed Elena Chernyakova of Russia, who eliminated Thai Nicha Lertpitaksinchai, 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (retired), and fourth seed Yang Zijun of Hong Kong, who routed Ukraine’s Valentyna Ivakhnenko, 6-0, 6-1.
Ukraine’s Nadija Kichenok bested Olivia Rogowska of Australia, 6-4, 6-4, and will next face Thai Kanyapat Narattana, a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 upset victor over third seed Jessy Rompies of Indonesia.
|
